According to this year’s Henley Passport Index, the Estonian passport grants visa-free access to 183 countries, making it the sixth most powerful passport in the world. Estonian citizens can travel visa-free to more countries than either Britons or Americans.
By comparison, in the 2024 Henley Passport Index, the Estonian passport allowed access to 186 countries; it remains unclear which countries have since withdrawn visa-free access for Estonian citizens.
In ranking terms, however, Estonia has improved: in 2024, its passport was placed ninth globally, whereas this year it has climbed to sixth place.
Last year, the Estonian and US passports were ranked on a par. This year, however, the US passport has slipped to tenth place, offering visa-free access to just 179 countries.
The British passport also ranks below Estonia’s, coming seventh with access to 182 countries. Latvia shares the same ranking as the UK, while Lithuanian citizens enjoy visa-free access to 181 countries, placing Lithuania eighth overall.
A page in the Estonian passport. Image by the Estonian Police and Border Guard.
Singaporeans have the best passport… in the world
Estonia shares sixth place in the index with Croatia, the Czech Republic, Malta, New Zealand and Poland.
Topping the global ranking are Singaporean passport holders, whose travel document grants visa-free access to an impressive 192 countries. They are followed by Japan and South Korea, which share second place with visa-free access to 188 countries. Ranked third are Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, whose citizens can travel visa-free to 186 destinations.
At the other end of the scale, the least powerful passport is held by citizens of Afghanistan, allowing visa-free access to just 24 countries. Syria follows with access to 26 countries, and Iraq with 29.
A page in the Estonian passport. Image by the Estonian Police and Border Guard.
The Henley Passport Index, compiled annually by the London-based global citizenship and residency consultancy Henley & Partners, is based on data from the International Air Transport Association. Produced by the firm since 2006, the index evaluates 199 passports and 227 destinations worldwide.
